Metal furniture



Dec. 28, 1943. w. R. HULTBERG METAL FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1941 Patented Dec. 28, 1943 METAL FURNITURE Walter R. Hultbcrg, Corry, Pa... asslgnor to Corry- Jamestown Manufacturing Corporation, Corry, Pa., a corporation of New York Application January 15, 1941, Serial No. 374,538

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pedestal desks and more particularly to the leg and corner structure of the pedestals thereof.

In one form the invention discloses a structure for desk pedestals that enables fabricating a desk with four, six, or eight legs, as may be desired, without in any way altering the general desk structure. This is accomplished by the provision of a pedestal corner structure to which may be optionally applied and removed a pedestal leg or finished corner member. I

One of the objects of the present invention is to eliminate the necessity for a manufacturers separately fabricating desks for four, six, and eight legs by providing a simple, interchangeable, pedestal corner and leg structure that may be applied as required by purchasers at the time of assembly or subsequent thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide an interchangeable leg and corner member for desk pedestals that are so constructed as to facilitate being finished prior to assembly with the desk.

Another object of the invention is to provide an interchangeable leg and comer member that in assembly and removal cannot deface theexposed Joining parts of the desk.

Another object of the invention is to provide concealed interlocking parts on a desk pedestal and interchangeable leg and corner member.

A further object of. the invention is to provide a mounting on a desk pedestal that may receive either a corner member flush with the pedestal base or a leg that provides necessary support for the pedestal.

Other and further objects of the invention may be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; and in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a double pedestal desk embodying an application of use of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary exterior perspective view of a corner of one of the desk pedestals showing the removable corner member in place;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the corner member, taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1; a

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, showing further details of a corner member and support therefor;

Figure 5 is an enlarged inside fragmentary perspective view of a corner member;

Figure 6 is an inside perspective view of a pedestal corner with the corner member removed;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a pedestal corner prior to mounting a comer member;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a leg applied to the pedestal corner.

parts being broken away to disclose certain of the structural details;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view further showing the leg and pedestal assembly;

Figure 10 is, a fragmentary perspective view taken from the rear of the leg;

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view showing the interfitting of parts of the leg and pedestal, being taken substantially on the line I l--ll of Figure 8;

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line IZ-I2 of Figure 11, showing the leg in position on a pedestal; and

Figure 13 is a horizontal sectional view of the leg beneath the pedestaL'being taken substantially at |3|'3 of Figure 8.

Reference isnow had to the drawings wherein the numeral 10 is employed to generally designate a pedestal desk or similar article in which the present invention may be incorporated; Figure 1 of the drawings shows the invention applied to a desk having two pedestals II and I2. The pedestal H illustrates a portion of a desk when provided with four legs, whereas pedestal 12 illustrates a portion of a desk when fitted with at least six legs. The pedestal II, in the present illustration, includes conventional drawers and drawer guides and is, therefore, formed with a front drawer frame member l3 that may be terminated in a lower rolled edge l4 and flange l6. Flange I6 is welded or otherwise suitably joined to a pedestal base panel ll. The sides of the pedestal ll may consist of panels l8 having rolled bottoms I9 that terminate in flanges 2|. Flanges 2| are also welded or otherwise suitably joined to the base panel ll. The adjacent upright portions of frame 13 and panel 18 terminate in pairs of identical flanges 22 and 2-3. As may be seen in Figures 3 and 6, these flanges provide abutment for a corner support 24, the vertical sides of which are welded or otherwise joined to flanges 23.

Attached to, or formed integral with the sides of the support 24, are lugs 26. lhe free edges of lugs 26 are directed towards flanges 22, terminating short thereof (see Figure 'I) As may be hereinafter more fully understood, it is desirable to provide a substantial base to the support 2d and this may be accomplished by forming two tabs at the lower edges of the corner sides and bending them into overlapping relationship to form a base or seat 27 (see Figure 4) Any suitable means for joining the support base 2? to the frame member I3 and panel It may be employed, such, for example, as providing small flanges or tabs 28 on these parts.

A member 3! is adapted to be applied to the unfinished corner of the pedestal above described. This corner member may be formed with a rounded wall 32, the edges of which, in part at least, terminate in flanges 33 and 34, substantially as illustrated. The base 36 of the member 3| may be rounded to conform to the rounded or curved contour of the bases i4 and IQ of frame 13 and panel I B respectively. This base is formed with one or more flanges 3! that serve to locate the member 3| when it is-engaged with the pedestal. It is evident from the drawings that flanges 35 of the member 3! may interengage lugs 26 and the support 24 of the pedestal and that the corner member may be moved upwardly of the pedestal until flange 3T abuts the under face of the base 21 of the support 20. With the member 3|! in this position (see Figure 2) the corner member completes or finishes the heretofore unfinished corner of the pedestal. It is contemplated the lugs 26 will provide sufilcient frictional contact with the flanges of the corner member to prevent inadvertent dislodgment thereof, but it is obvious that once the corner member is in place, any conventional means may be employed to permanently secure it.

Attention is again directed to Figure 1 of the drawings wherein it will be noted that the front corner of pedestal i2 is fitted with a leg M. It is contemplated that another leg may be substituted for the corner member 3! of pedestal ll. Leg 4| may, as shown, comprise a foot portion 42 having an inside reinforcing angle member 43, the upper edge M of which is intended to abut from beneath the seat 21 of the unfinished pedestal comeru In its present form the leg M is formed with angularly disposed connecting sides 46 and 41. The free edges of these sides of the leg may terminate in sets of flanges 48 and 49 that are similar to the flanges 33 and 3.4 of the corner member 3|. The upper end of the leg may be unfinished inasmuch as it is concealed beneath the desk top when in place, as is also the comer member 3|.

Flanges 49 of the leg are intended to interfit the lugs 25 of the corner support when the leg is projected upwardly into engagement therewith from beneath the pedestal. been moved into full engagement with the supporting structure of the pedestal, it will be noted (see Figures 9 and 12) that the upper end of the part 43 projects into a pocket roughly defined by the curved bases l4 and 19 of the pedestal, together with the seat 21. The part 43 is engaged by the seat and sustains the weight of its corner of the pedestal. Inasmuch as the exposed surfaces of the leg, namely, sides 46 and 41, and a part of flanges 48, have no contact with the pedestal or engaging structure, the leg may be completely fabricated; that is to say, produced When the leg has in final shape and painted or otherwise given a finished treatment and will not become marred in the process of applying or removing. It will also be appreciated that the corner of the pedestal to which the leg ii is applied is in no wise marred or otherwise damaged by the repeated application or removal of the leg.

When the leg has been engaged with the pedestal in the manner described, any conventional means may be employed to secure it against displacement from the corner member, although it is contemplated that the frictional interfitting of the leg and corner member flanges will be adequate for this purpose.

Through use of the above described structure it is possible to separately fabricate pedestals such as the pedestals II and i2, corner members 3i, and legs (ii, and at such time as a four, six, or eight leg desk is purchased the required 20 leg and corner structure may be applied. It

will, of course, be understood that all four corhere of each of the pedestals may be formed with the corner support described and that variations or changes in structural details may be made and are within the contemplated spirit and scope of the invention to the extent that these variations or changes are encompassed by the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. In a desk having a pedestal, a pedestal corner structure comprising flanges on adjacent intumed edges of wall elements of said pedestal,

a corner support having two walls disposed at right angles, said support being set inwardly of the lateral limits of the pedestal and cooperating with the intumed edges of the wall elements to form a recessed area, said support walls, at

least in part, overlying the flanges of said elements and being permanently secured thereto and forming a rigid connection between said wall elements, a corner finishing member proportioned to project into the recessed area, flanges on intumed edges of said member, and laterally offset lugs in said support walls interengageable with said member flanges in a manner to position the intumed edges of said member in abutment with the intumed edges of the wall elements of the pedestal.

2. In a desk having a pedestal, a pedestal corner structure comprising flanges on adjacent intumed edges of wall elements of said pedestal, a corner support set inwardly of the lateral limits of the pedestal, said support having walls cooperating with the inturned edges of the wall elements to form a recessed area, said support walls, at least in part, overlying the flanges of the elements and being permanently secured thereto and forming a, rigid connection between said wall elements, a corner finishing member proportioned to project into the recessed area, flanges on inturned edges of said member, and offset means on each of the walls of said sup- ('-5 port interengageable with said member flanges,

said means being so disposed as to require the intumed edges of said member, throughout their length, to abut the intumed edges of the wall elements of the pedestal.

vWALTER. R. HUL'I'BERG. 

